Eye wash fountain



De 3, 1968 c. J. LAGARELLI ETA!- 3,413,660

EYE WASH FOUNTAIN Filed July 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Carmen J. Logorelli 8 John G. Pecis ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1968 c. J. LAGARELLI ETAL EYE WASH FOUNTAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29, 1966 FIG W m mm m M m. N A G n m 0' J United States Patent Office 3,413,660 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,828

2 Claims. 01. 4-166) Carmen John Del., De].

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved eye wash of the type disclosed in United States Patent 3,090,050, assigned to the same company as the present application.

An inherent disadvantage of the prior device is the accumulation of undesirable material in the nozzles due to the fact that the openings are subjected to the entrance of airborne particles always present in shops and foundries.

More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide an eye wash of the above mentioned type, which possesses the desired operational characteristics of the eye wash disclosed in and made under the above mentioned patent, but which is inherently capable of protecting the discharge nozzles when not in use, and which is operated by a single bar across the openings of the basin which is displaceable laterally to initiate the flow of water therein.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure member for each of the aerator openings, which closure members are retractable automatically with the initiation of the fiow of water.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a bar across the openings to the basin which bar is pivoted on each end and is displaceable to one side so as to initiate the flow of water in the eye wash.

The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its ad vantages and specific objects obtained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the eye wash fountain.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the eye wash fountain.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the device shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a front view of the eye wash fountain, showing the flow of water into the fountain during operation.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section, of the aerator nozzle shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring more particularly to the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the eye bath illustrated in FIG- URE 1 comprises a basin supported on the centrally located vertical support member 11, shown in FIGURE 2, which support member also acts as a drain and is connected to the lower portion of the basin 10 by means of the couplings 12 and 13, so as to rigidly support the basin.

The basin 10 comprises a laterally extending portion 14 at right angles to the drain and forming a horizontal surface on which the discharge nozzles 15 and 16 are mounted. A downwardly extending lip portion 17 defines the outer portion of the laterally extending portion 14. The bowl portion 18 of the basin 10 receives the water from the discharge nozzles 15 and 16 and allows the water to drain through the opening 19 in the center thereof into the drain pipe or support member 11.

Each of the discharge nozzles 15 and 16 comprise inlet conduits 20 and 21 admitting water to the nozzles 15 and 16 through an aerator 22, shown in nozzle 15 and a similar aerator being placed in nozzle 16 (not shown). The conduits 20 and 21 are connected to the main inlet conduit 23 by means of conduit 23' and the flow of the water is initiated by the operation of the valve unit 24 placed in the inlet conduit 23. This valve unit is of the ball valve type and is controlled by the linkage arrangement, shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, wherein the push bar or handle 25 is pivoted on each end of the lip portion 17 through the pivots 26 and 27 to permit lateral movement of the handle 25. Connected to the handle 25 is a link 28 connected to the link 29 which operates the ball valve 24 and initiates the flow of water when the handle is forced into position, as shown in FIG. 4. When the handle is moved from the vertical position to the operating position and is moved through an arc of approximately it rotates the ball valve through the linkage just described through an arc of thereby opening completely the passage of water from the water main 23 to the nozzles 15 and 16.

Attached and depending from the handle 25 are the shields 30 and 31. These shields are attached to the handle by means of the screw retained plates 32 and 33 and close the openings to the discharge nozzles 15 and 16, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, when the handle is in the off position and prevents the accumulation of foreign matter, ice or snow, within these discharge nozzles. When the handle is rotated into the on position, as shown in FIG- URE 4, the soft aerated streams of water 35 and 36 flow from the nozzles 15 and 16, these streams impinge at 37 in the central portion of the bowl portion 18 of the basin 10. The shields 30 and 31 attached to the handle 25 are displaced from their position protecting the nozzles 15 and 16 and allow the water to flow from these nozzles. The excess water is carried by the bowl portion 18 through the vertical drain and support 11.

In operation the device as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 has a handle portion 25 carrying the shields 30 and 31 protecting the openings to the aerated nozzles 15 and 16. Upon rotation of the handle portion by a user the shields are removed from the openings of the aerator and the ball valve 24 is forced into an open position initiating the flow of water through the nozzles to the aerators, which impinge in the central portion of the bowl 18. A user may place his face within the bowl so as to receive the stream of water on each side of the face including the eyes.

The present device provides the need of protecting the aerating nozzles when the emergency eye wash is not in use, and prevents the accumulation of foreign matter, such as dust and dirt within the aerating nozzle during the periods when not in use. It also prevents the accumulation of snow and ice Within the aerator nozzle. Heretofore it has been found that when emergency devices of the type herein described are permitted to stand for long periods, in certain shops and foundries, areas where theemergency use may be required, that there is a tendency to accumulate dirt within the nozzle. The first flow of water from such a contaminated device contains foreign particles which are received by and irritate the eye area. This disadvantage has been completely overcome by providing the protection for the aerated nozzles herein disclosed.

While the particular combination shown in illustration of this invention as the nozzle protectors mounted directly on the handles that initiate the fiow of water, it is well within the scope of a person skilled in the art to mount these separately so that the initiation of the flow of water will of itself remove the protectors from the nozzles.

While in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes the best form of embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims,

and that in some cases certain features may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In an eye wash, comprising a source of Water under pressure, a basin connected to a drain, at least two aerating nozzles having a first water conduit connected thereto, said nozzles being on each side of said basin, a second Water conduit from said source of Water to said first water conduit, a valve in said second conduit to initiate the fiow of water, the combination therewith of a push bar pivoted on said basin and connected to said valve to initiate the flow of water from said nozzles and retractable shields over said aerator nozzles.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said retractable shields areattached to and move with said push bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,482,960 9/1949 Benson 4-166 2,775,774 1/1957 Logan 4-166 2,999,249 9/-l961 Logan et a1. 4-166 3,007,645 11/1961 Little 239-150 3,090,050 5/1963 Fraser et al. 4-166 3,302,215 2/1967 Clothier 4-166 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

HENRY K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN EYE WASH, COMPRISING A SOURCE OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE, A BASIN CONNECTED TO A DRAIN, AT LEAST TWO AERATING NOZZLES HAVING A FIRST WATER CONDUIT CONNECTED THERETO, SAID NOZZLES BEING ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BASIN, A SECOND WATER CONDUIT FROM SAID SOURCE OF WATER TO SAID FIRST WATER CONDUIT, A VALVE IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT TO INITIATE THE FLOW OF WATER, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A PUSH BAR PIVOTED ON SAID BASIN AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE TO INITIATE THE FLOW OF WATER FROM SAID NOZZLES AND RETRACTABLE SHIELDS OVER SAID AERATOR NOZZLES. 